Starting With Real Madrid

Ronaldo's house in Portugal is located near the Vasco da Gama Tower in the Parque das Nações. Standing on the balcony, you can see the Vasco da Gama Bridge spanning the Tagus River. The scenery is especially stunning.

Back when he was still part of Sporting Lisbon's youth academy, he used to take the subway and run all over Lisbon.

He had stood on the banks of the Tagus countless times, fantasizing about one day owning a house there and bringing his parents, siblings, and family to live with him.

Later, after making it big, he suddenly realized that his father had already passed away, his mother didn't want to leave the island she'd lived on since childhood, and his siblings all had their own lives.

Still, he bought a house here.

Right on the same stretch of riverbank he used to dream about, where he could gaze at the Vasco da Gama Bridge.

Now, he stood on that very balcony, overlooking the bridge, with his agent Mendes by his side.

"You mean I'm not part of Gao Shen's plan?" Ronaldo asked with concern.

"I asked that too, but José Sánchez said Gao Shen didn't give a clear answer. He only said that he'd speak with you directly."

After a pause, Mendes added, "You know, Gao Shen always likes to 'chat'."

Somehow, "chatting" had become a symbol of his sophistication.

Some even joked that the reason he's so successful and never has locker room conflicts is because he loves to chat. Conversations with him seem to carry a magical power that defuses tension.

"What do you think?" Ronaldo continued looking into the distance, his expression unreadable.

"From what I can tell, Real Madrid has gone all-in on Gao Shen. Florentino himself is leading the project, with both vice presidents involved, including the second vice president, Tapias. As you know, Real Madrid's first vice president rarely gets involved in anything."

Real Madrid's first vice president, Fernández, is a well-known Madrid tycoon. His favorite pastime is sailing Spain's largest and most luxurious yacht with supermodels.

He attends every Real Madrid match, but despite being first vice president, he basically doesn't manage anything.

When Florentino first became club president, Fernández was already his first vice president. But interestingly, when Florentino stepped down in 2006, his successor was Martín, not Fernández.

At the time, many speculated that there had been a falling-out.

But when Florentino returned to the presidency, Fernández was reinstated as first vice president.

The second vice president, Tapias, is a famous Spanish lawyer. Unlike Laporta, who is only known in Catalonia, Tapias is recognized nationwide. He's also Florentino's former elementary school classmate.

They have one thing in common: both Fernández and Tapias are founding members of the Offensive Fan Club.

Every member of this club is not only a Real Madrid socio but also a major figure in Spanish political and business circles.

In other words, when Florentino brought Tapias and Butragueño to Cheshire, he was bringing along the three most powerful people on the board, as well as the heads of administrative departments.

This lineup wasn't just serious. It was overwhelming.

And with that level of sincerity and efficiency, Gao Shen signed the agreement on the spot. It would become official once he arrived in Madrid to sign the contract.

"I heard Florentino even wanted to hold a grand welcome ceremony for Gao Shen, but he refused."

Mendes smiled and looked at his player. "José Sánchez said that based on Real Madrid's public opinion analysis, if they really held a welcome ceremony, the fan turnout would exceed 100,000."

Ronaldo's hands visibly trembled. When he first joined Real Madrid, it hadn't drawn that many fans.

"Jorge, stop with the fluff. Tell me something that actually matters."

"I think we need to prepare for both possibilities."

"Go ahead."

"Whether or not Gao Shen plans to marginalize us, we need a response. With Coentrão and Carvalho gone, we'll lose influence in the dressing room. Will you still have the same tactical role you had before?"

"And then?"

"We need to put pressure on Real Madrid, let them know we have other options. That way, they'll try to find a balance instead of fully backing Gao Shen."

Ronaldo understood what his agent meant. "Who do you think could help me achieve my goals in European football now?"

"There are options."

"Like…"

"Paris Saint-Germain or Manchester City."

Ronaldo was no fool. In fact, he was more shrewd than most. It was a survival skill he'd honed since childhood.

Just like how he managed to stay afloat at Sporting Lisbon on his own.

"I won't make a move yet. I'll observe. And wait for Gao Shen to call me."

With those words, Ronaldo had made his stance clear.

An agent is still an agent. No matter how famous, he serves the player.

Sometimes, the agent's interests don't perfectly align with the player's.

Especially when the agent manages multiple players.

Mendes knew perfectly well that he couldn't hide his little schemes from Ronaldo, and he didn't intend to.

Their interests were intertwined anyway.

But this time, Gao Shen was ruthless. He started with Mendes' players.

Now, Mendes was even worried about Di María and Pepe.

If those two couldn't stay at Real Madrid, how would Mendes maintain influence at the Bernabéu?

Thinking about it made him angry again.

He had warned Mourinho not to be so stubborn, but Mourinho wouldn't listen and insisted on pushing back. Things escalated until they were completely out of control, giving Gao Shen the upper hand for free.

Otherwise, he wouldn't be in such a passive position now.

"What about Fábio and Ricardo?" Ronaldo asked, concerned.

After all, they were teammates for both club and country.

"Gao Shen said Ricardo is too old and doesn't fit into his long-term plans. As for Fábio, he's a heavy smoker…"

"I think he's right," Ronaldo cut Mendes off. "I've warned him about this many times. He wouldn't listen and even got photographed by the media. We tried to suppress the news several times, using every possible resource, but nothing worked."

Speaking of that, Ronaldo looked exasperated.

A 24-year-old professional footballer smoking? How could that be acceptable?

Didn't he understand how harmful smoking was to his performance?

It's fine to go out, party, or even visit clubs. They're all men, after all—who doesn't like that stuff?

But smoking is different.

"Do you need my help?" Ronaldo sighed.

Mendes shook his head. "No need. Real Madrid asked us to find new clubs. I'm planning to send Fábio to Chelsea. Ashley Cole is getting old, and Chelsea are looking to reinforce. José is coaching there now, so it fits."

"As for Ricardo, I'm still working on it. He might go to Ligue 1 or back to Portugal. Nothing confirmed yet."

Ronaldo was a bit helpless but could only accept the situation.

This incident clearly showed that Real Madrid's direction had truly shifted.

Back when Mourinho was coaching, Mendes was the darling of the Bernabéu. Now...

…

After his meeting with the Real Madrid team, Gao Shen left Manchester Airport the next day with his wife, heading for Northern Europe again.

This time, besides a suitcase full of Real Madrid-related materials to read during downtime, he didn't bring much else—not even his work phone.

Last time, he visited Iceland and Norway. This time, he planned to tour Denmark, Finland, and Sweden to experience more of the Nordic vibe.

Although he left, Gao Shen had already discussed plenty with the Real Madrid staff, especially regarding the summer transfer window.

After that, he met with the Leeds United team. He also visited Sarri, accompanied by Lucas and Borrell, to console the frustrated head coach.

Because the squad he had carefully built was about to be dismantled this summer.

Looking at all the clubs outside swarming like sharks, trying to scoop up Leeds players, Gao Shen felt like he was watching a real estate boom from his past life.

All of them had deep pockets!

"But look on the bright side, Maurizio. We've already acquired the land northeast of Elland Road, and we can start preparing to build a brand-new, five-star, ultra-luxury training complex."

Gao Shen was a master of sweet talk.

What else could he do?

The boss said it, so what choice did Sarri have?

He had no choice but to treat bad news as good news.

Still, he repeatedly reminded Gao Shen to keep his promise and help him build a strong team.

Of course, Gao Shen agreed readily.

Sarri's peak came during his time at Napoli, with a midfield trio of Jorginho, Allan, and Hamsik. Right now, Jorginho and Allan were still young but full of potential. With the addition of Pogba, Gao Shen believed that with proper development, they could surpass Napoli's midfield of old.

Before leaving, Gao Shen brought Su Qing to visit Ferguson's home, gifting him a case of wine as thanks.

Because Manchester United spent £15 million to sign Schneiderlin, the expected transfer prices for Leeds United players had risen.

If Schneiderlin cost £15 million, what about Paulinho, who had performed even better?

Mourinho was also interested in Paulinho. With Lampard aging, he wanted to bring in the Brazilian international as a replacement. So Chelsea had also approached Leeds United for a price.

Tottenham too.

But Gao Shen left the Leeds matters to Lucas and Borrell. He and Su Qing mostly waited for updates. Real Madrid, however, was handled by Gao Shen personally.

That same afternoon, right after the Real Madrid delegation returned to Madrid, Valdano faxed an official bid to Valencia: €15 million for their left-back, Jordi Alba.

This was €3 million more than Barcelona's €12 million offer.

It was also exactly what Valencia was asking for Alba.

Spanish football was instantly rocked.

The battle to snatch top talent had officially begun!

(To be continued.)

***

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